The Massachusetts State Lottery was created by legislation in 1971. Initial ticket sales for "The Game" began in March 1972. The Massachusetts Lotto introduced the first lotto game with players choosing 6 numbers of 49 in 1978, but cancelled it after 13 weeks. The Mass Lottery was among the 6 states that creted "The Big Game" in 1996. Today Mega Millions is the most widely available lottery in the world